 |
||||
 |
AUGUST 2009 |  |
||
 |
Kudus drinking water
The Kalahari
Bushman dancing
Yellow Billed Hornbill
Bushman made a fire for dinner |
 |
With the season changing most of the trees have not lost their leaves and the termites and guinea fowls are very busy cutting the grasses to enable the new growth to appear after the first rain.
The first signs of spring are visible in the return of the swallow-tailed bee-eater and the blooms of the acacias. Love is also in the air: Deception Valley Team laid on a romantic picnic in the veld with bubbly and snacks to ease the nerves of the young lover to pop the question. Of course there was no way she could not resist. Everybody joined in the celebration of their engagement. This romantic interlude will continue with a number of honeymooners expected in August. The Kalahari is not always such a peaceful and gentle place. This was evident this week when the rangers came across a severely mauled elderly male lion lying next to the waterhole in the valley. Nobody believed that he would survive as his back; front paw and one eye were badly injured. Discussions around the breakfast table centred on the question how long he would be able to survive without food. There was great joy when on the 3rd day Adriaan reported the tuff old king of the bush had managed to find his way back to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. The guests of the Kalahari Manor were treated to the sight of the eastern pride of twelve lions drinking water at sunrise.
Sightings: Giant eagle owl, red-crested korhaan, tawny eagle, yellow billed horbil, bateleur, corry bustard, brown hyena, leopard with two cubs, male leopard, eland, giraffes, oryx, kudus, wildebeest, hartebeest, zebras, steenbok and African wildcat Did you know? Lions are the only true social members of the cat family and live in groups called prides. Lions can run at a rate of 50 mph / 80 kph, and sleep up to 20 hours a day. Their roar can be heard up to 8km away. They are the only felines with tufts at the ends of their tails. Male lions can usually only hold on to a pride for 2-4 years before a younger, stronger male or coalition of males throws him out and takes over. Female lions usually give birth to a litter every two years. Cubs nurse for six months, but start eating meat at three months. Due to varied dangers, including starvation during times of food shortage and attacks by male lions taking over prides, a huge percentage of lion cubs die within their first two years of life. Male lions live expectancy in the wild is 10years and a female round 14 years, while zoo lions may live up to 25 years. Young males are driven from their prides when they grow large enough to compete with the dominant males. Young males join in coalitions, usually with brothers and cousins, and search for a pride to take over. PHOTOS TAKEN BY : Kurt & Birgit Roth, Kuiper Family CONTACT DETAILS: E-mail: bushmen@dvl.co.za Website: www.dvl.co.za POSTAL ADDRESS: |
|
